Genes cause differences

THE EDITOR: Mr Arthur Lok Jack in a report under the headline “Lok Jack talks Black Power”, in an effort to win friends and create enemies within the  society, lamented that 45 percent of people representing the Afro society were not nearly involved in business as they should be.

He went on further to say that neither the Indians nor the Chinese nor the Afro themselves are concerned. Mr Lok Jack should be aware of the historical background of the Chinese, Indians and the Afro Trinidadians, their experiences as slaves and indentured labourers to discover that in their new environment they had developed their skills. If he is interested enough he should examine our skilled labour to discover that the Indians, Chinese and certainly not the Lebanese are not among the 80 percent of our skilled labour involved in the building industries and energy sector. The Indians came out of the indentured system and still trade by the use of the hoe and cutlass and neither the Chinese, the Afro the white nor the Indians themselves seemed concerned.

They are family oriented and created employment within the family to keep them employed and together. They are graduated shop keepers who, by dint of hard work and sacrifice became businessmen as indeed the Chinese. The Lebanese should not be envied for their entrepreneurship. Their years as street vendors were long, hard and painful. They stand above all and are exemplars. Prime Minister Manning would have us believe that the CEPEP programme was to give independence and growth for the traditionally disposed element in our society and that it is to “the sons and daughters of the slaves and indentured labourers - children of the Quashies and the Rams!! The fact that there are more Quashies than Rams in the programme should have us question his motives.

The VTEP to be paid to the Caroni workers is of concern to the government. Danny Montano thinks that the monies can be better spent in training the youth when he targetted these youth in the East West Corridor and the Morvant areas. Mr Lock Jack should realise it is the genes that have caused the differences in attitude in the skills of our people. This can explain why Indians and Chinese are not seen on the football fields and that Indians are more often than not on the cricket field. They are never boxers and after Ahamad Charles and Ramjohn who next? Don’t ask me to listen to Ricky Jai when Sparrow is on the air. Lok Jack like the former Colonial master may set about a process of divide.

PAUL V RAMROOP
Curepe